Day 3 Feeding Strike - Help!

[bear_fairy]

Dear Members,

My BF baby started taking bottles of EBM when she was 1 month old in preparation for my return to work when she was 11 weeks. By this ime bottle feeds in the day were well established and unproblematic. I recently had some holidays with her and we travelled around a lot and as a result she went back to breast feeds in the day. She is 6 months this weekend and I went back to work this week after the holiday and she has flatly refused bottle of EBM. We have tried sippy cup, spoons etc but with no joy for the last 3 days.

Day 1 she didn't feed for 8 hours and then I BF her when home and through evening, night.
Day 2 she didn't feed 10 hours and then when I hit home I BF her
Day 3 she didn't feed 9 hours and then I BF her when home

She isn't crying ir upset - unless bottle or whatever goes near her. I live in a hot country and I am terrified she will dehydrate. We are doing baby led weaning which is going well and I do not want to do puréed and hide BM in her food. What are my options and am I right to be so worried or will she really take the bottle when hungry enough - I thought 10 hours was pretty amazing resolve on her part!

PHas anyone been through such extended periods of bottle strikes and got through it?

[Erin M]

Does she drink water?  Since she's 6 months, you can offer water in a sippy cup or in a beaker and see if she'll take it (also, many breast fed babies do better with straw cups, my ds figured out the straw cup much earlier than the sippy).  That would at least make you worry less about dehydration. 

My friend's LO did the same thing when she went back to work -- they feed more often at night to compensate for not feeding during the day, it's called reverse cycling and is fairly common.  Her ds did eventually start taking a bottle eventually at daycare. 

There's lots of info here if you haven't seen it: http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=173309.0

[*Ali*]

I know a mum who fed her LO from a medicine syringe when he refused the bottle. Might she take milk from there? It wouldn't be much at a time but is better than nothing.

I would try to offer foods with a high water content like cucmber, watermelon, tomatoes and ice lollies (frozen breast or cows milk, or diluted juice in a lolly mould go down well here) if you are worried about dehydration.

[bear_fairy]

Thank you so much for the advice. I have got her munching melon etc and she did eat 1 shaped ice cube of EBM today (refused the 2nd as I think she worked it out) but that is better than nothing. Will try straw. Thanks for the support.